Iran jails psychologist over Trump plea as regime demands he make Americans ‘look stupid’: family

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An Iranian psychologist who publicly appealed to PresidentDonald Trumpto stand by Iranians protesting the Islamic Republic has been sentenced to seven months in prison, while his relatives say authorities tried to pressure him into recording a video insulting Trump and Americans.

Seyed Ahmad Seyedabdollahi, a 32-year-old psychologist and counselor from Borujen who had been living in Tehran, posted an English-language video on Jan.4 directly addressing Trump.

“”…To prove your good intentions to the Iranian people, either do something without saying anything or act very quickly on your words, because many young people trust what you say.And, as you probably know, many things are useless to people who are dead.I assure you that the Iranian nation remembers good deeds well, and they will try to repay their friends in the future.”

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Seyed Ahmad Seyedabdollahi, a 32-year-old Iranian psychologist who was arrested

Seyed Ahmad Seyedabdollahi, a 32-year-old Iranian psychologist, who addressed President Donald Trump in an English-language video posted on Jan.4, 2026, urging him to follow through on his pledge to support Iranian protesters.Seyedabdollahi was arrested 10 days later and was subsequently sentenced to seven months in prison.

Ten days later, on Jan.14, Seyedabdollahi was arrested at his father’s home in Borujen, according toIran International,Iran Wire,Haranahuman rights activist news agency, and the Hana Human Rights Organization.Hana reportedthat plainclothes agents confiscated phones and electronic equipment and that Seyedabdollahi was subsequently held in solitary confinement and at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence detention facility in Isfahan.

“Since that day, he has faced serious pressure from Iranian security authorities.He was arrested twice and subjected to repeated interrogations,” the relative said.“During his detention, he spent extended periods in solitary confinement.He was eventually convicted and sentenced to seven months in prison, and in July 2026 he was transferred to prison to begin serving his sentence.”

Branch One of the Borujen Revolutionary Court convicted Seyedabdollahi of “engaging in media activities againstnational security,” sentenced him to seven months in prison andbarred him from government and public servicesfor five years, Iran International reported Aug.6.He was detained again July 7 to begin serving the sentence and remains in Borujen Prison.

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Iranians block street, stand among debris in Kermanshah, Iran

Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Kermanshah, Iran on Jan.8, 2026.(Kamran/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Hana Human Rights Organization said he was denied contact with his family for 17 days following his first arrest and that his family initially did not know where he was being held.Iran International reported that he was denied access to a lawyer of his choosing during his detention and at times was prevented from communicating with his family.

Iranian authorities have also opened a second case against Seyedabdollahi on a charge translated as “propaganda against the establishment” or “propaganda against the system of the Islamic Republic.” The case, opened in June, remains at the preliminary investigative stage, according to Hana.

� investigation of Seyedabdollahi and contain references to alleged foreign contacts and financial transactions involving the United States and Israel.His relative said interrogators accused him of being connected to the CIA and Mossad and of receiving money in exchange for making the video.

“They told him you are a member of the CIA and Mossad and you took money from them for this job,” the relative said.

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Seyed Ahmad Seyedabdollahi Iranian prisoner

Seyed Ahmad Seyedabdollahi, a 32-year-old Iranian psychologist, addresses President Donald Trump in an English-language video posted on Jan.4, 2026, urging him to follow through on his pledge to support Iranian protesters.Seyedabdollahi was arrested 10 days later and was subsequently sentenced to seven months in prison.

The relative also alleged that Iranian authorities pressured Seyedabdollahi to record another video repudiating his original message and attacking Trump and Americans.

“He did not give in to numerous pressures to publish a clip that contradicted the first video,” the relative said.“He was asked to sexually insult Trump and make the American people look stupid and ignorant so that we could broadcast your clip on the national media.”

The relative further alleged that Seyedabdollahi endured solitary confinement and mistreatment during interrogations, and said he continues to facepressure in prisonafter refusing authorities’ demands.Those allegations also could not be independently verified.

“His situation in Borujen Prison is not good because he has been out of solitary confinement for a few days, but sometimes they take him to solitary confinement under various pretexts,” the relative said, adding that monitored telephone calls make it difficult for him to speak openly about his treatment.

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Protesters chant slogans during a protest over the death of a woman who was detained by the morality police, in downtown Tehran, Iran.(AP Photo)(Associated Press)

The relative said the five-yearprohibition on public and government employmenthas compounded the punishment by threatening Seyedabdollahi’s ability to work after his release.

“You understand the economic conditions of Iran.Now imagine that in this situation someone has been deprived of their social rights, i.e.job and income, and he is imprisoned,” the relative said.

The relative described Seyedabdollahi as a psychologist and popular speaker with a following among young Iranians, and said he remained focused on those who suffered more severely during the government’s crackdown.

In the brief period when he was free, the relative recalled him saying, “Don’t feel weak.Our problems are insignificant compared to the thousands of people who have lost their lives.”

Seyedabdollahi was one of several Iranians who directly appealed to Trump during January’snationwide protests.Iran International reported that he posted his video Jan.4, two days after Trump warned Iranian authorities against firing on peaceful demonstrators.Trump againwarned Tehran on Jan.9and on Jan.13 urged Iranians to continue protesting, writing that “help is on its way.”

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People gather during protest on January 8, 2026, in Tehran, Iran.Demonstrations have been ongoing since December, triggered by soaring inflation and the collapse of the rial, and have expanded into broader demands for political change.(Anonymous/Getty Images)

Iran International reported thatthe crackdown resulted in mass arrestsand cited the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency as saying more than 50,000 people were arrested during a period of just over six weeks.The outlet also reported thatU.N.human rightschief Volker Türk said at least 56 people had beenexecuted on national-security-related chargessince March 19, including 27 in cases linked to the January protests.

The Iranian mission to the U.N.declined to comment.

com/category/world/conflicts" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">conflict, global affairs, human rights and political accountability. She has directed and produced more than 200 documentary segments across more than 40 countries, documenting conflicts, humanitarian crises, corruption, human trafficking, gender-based violence and the human stories behind major world events.

Lachter’s reporting has taken her into conflict zones and crisis areas across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa.Her work has included uncovering human trafficking networks, revealing an ISIS underground torture prison in Syria, documenting thewar in Ukraine and interviewing senior political figures and world leaders.She was also among the Western journalists who entered Russia after the war began to bring testimonies from Putin’s opposition.Lachter is the recipient of the 2022 Peres Center for Peace Award and was a 2023–2024 Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan.She also won two Rockower Awards for Excellence in Reporting.She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and a master’s degree in political science.